Abstract
Summary: The living radical terpolymerization of vinylidene chloride (VC~2~), methyl acrylate (MA), and dimethyl‐2‐methacryloxyethylphosphonate (MAPHOS) was performed at 70 °C in benzene by a reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process to yield a gradient terpolymer of controlled molecular weight ($\overline M _{\rm n}$ = 5 800 g · mol^−1^, I~p~ = 1.53) with a molar composition of 75:14:11 (VC~2~/MA/MAPHOS). Such terpolymers, hydrolyzed (phosphonic acid groups) or not, were used as polymeric additives in coating formulations based on a poly(VC~2~‐co‐MA) copolymer matrix ($\overline M _{\rm n}$ = 63 300 g · mol^−1^, I~p~ = 1.99, VC~2~/MA = 80:20 molar ratio). The formulations were spun cast on stainless steel surfaces and the coatings were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with X‐ray analyses (EDX). The hydrolyzed additive was shown to both segregate and migrate towards the metal interface, leading to a preferential organization of the coating. Hence, the matrix at the air surface acts as a barrier to gas while the additive ensures adhesion at the polymer/metal interface.
SEM photograph of a section of the coating with formulation 4 [poly(VC~2~‐co‐MA‐co‐MAPHOS(OH)~2~) (75:14:11)].
magnified imageSEM photograph of a section of the coating with formulation 4 [poly(VC~2~‐co‐MA‐co‐MAPHOS(OH)~2~) (75:14:11)].